Annual Report for 2013-2014 Of Assam Institute of Management

Annual Report for 2013-2014 Of

Assam Institute of Management

Bigyan Path, Paschim Boragaon, Near IASST,

Guwahati-781035 : Assam

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Shri Jitesh Khosla, IAS

GOVERNMENT OF ASSAM

Chief Secretary to the

Government of Assam &

Chairman of Assam Institute of Management

It gives us great pleasure to present the Annual Report for the year 2013-2014 and the Placement

Brochure of the 2013-2015 Batch of PGDM graduates of the Assam Institute of Management

before you.

We are happy to share that the year has witnessed a number of important training programmes

and initiatives which have given confidence and learning to the faculty and the employees of the

Institute. I hope that they would be able to take the efforts forward to the future also.

The Government of Assam set up the Institute, the AIM, with a specific mission to develop the

youths of the North East Region so that they compete on national and global basis to avail the

growth related opportunities. The Institute has developed a unique PGDM Programme focused

on imbibing the right attitudes, values and sensibilities that are essential in today’s complex

world. The Institute has so far produced 19 Batches of graduates and it is heartening to note that

many of them are very well placed in industries, corporate and non-corporate sectors.

In addition, the Institute is contributing to the growth of professional management in the region

through research, consultancy, training and management development programmes. Recently,

the Institute has undertaken a few major projects of recruitment and has successfully completed

all those.

I congratulate all the members of AIM family for their hard work and commitment and I have no

doubt that their endeavors will receive due recognition in the right quarters.

I wish them all the best.

Shri Jitesh Khosla, IAS

Chairman, Assam Institute of Management

ASSAM INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

(A Government of Assam Society)

ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014

During the year 2013-2014, Assam Institute of Management continued its efforts to excel in its

endeavors in management teaching, training, research and consultancy through a series of

initiatives and programmes. An account of the same has been presented in this Annual Report.

The Assam Institute of Management was incorporated as an autonomous society of the

Government of Assam in 1988 (Cabinet Memorandum Item No.14/88) and its first Governing

Body was constituted vide Notification No.PE.147/87/1 dated 3rd February 1988. Originally the

Institute was called the Assam Institute of Management & Accountancy (AIMA). The name was

shortened to Assam Institute of Management (AIM) in 1993 to reflect truly its mission and

activities.

Initially, the Institute was under the Public Enterprises Department of the Government of Assam.

In 1996, it was brought under the Planning & Development (P&D) Department of the State

Government. Around the same time, the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam was made

the ex-officio Chairman of the Institute Governing Body. Vide Notification

No.PMA(H)167/2007/47 dated 05-11-2008, the Institute has been brought under the Directorate

of Technical Education, Assam by the Govt. of Assam.

Since its initiation, the Government of Assam has nurtured the Institute and has taken pride in its

attainments. The draft 8th Plan document stated as “A land mark achievement of the Public

Enterprise Department in the 7th plan has been the establishment of the Assam Institute of

Management…..…the aim of the Government of Assam is to develop the institute as an institute

of excellence and bring it up to the levels of the IIMs, albeit at the state level…….”

In the beginning the Institute was conducting professional courses, management programmes and

short-term courses. In 1994, the Institute obtained approval of the All India Council for

Technical Education (AICTE) to start two-year full-time and three-year part-time Post Graduate

Diploma Programmes in Management. However, after 2006, the Institute has discontinued the

Part-time Management Programme.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INSTITUTE

The Institute has the following aims and objectives:

o To provide for and promote education and training in various fields of professional

management and allied disciplines and strive to be a Centre of Excellence in the North

Eastern region of India;

o To assist industries, business enterprises and other organisations in solving their problems

and improving their functioning;

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o To carry out conceptual and applied research in fields relevant to the development of

industries and organisations of the region, and

o To interact with industries and institutions to further the management movement in the

North East and facilitate the development of the region.

MANAGEMENT

Shri NK Das, IAS, Former Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Shri PP Varma, IAS,

Former Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam and Shri Jitesh Khosla, IAS, Chief

Secretary to the Government of Assam were the ex-officio Chairmen of the AIM Governing

Body during the year 2013-2014.

The Government of Assam, vide Notification No.TEC.21/2004/257 dated 17th March, 2010,

reconstituted the Governing Body of the Institute. The Chief Secretary to the Government of

Assam continues to be the ex-officio Chairman of the Institute Governing Body. As per the

Government of Assam Notification No.TEC.21/2004/Pt-1/38 dated Dispur the 8th June, 2012 the

Commissioner and Secretary, PWD (Building), Govt. of Assam has been appointed as an ex-

officio member of the Governing Body. In the 95th Governing Body Meeting held on 19-04-

2012, it was resolved that the AIM Governing Body be reconstituted so as to induct the

Commissioner & Secretary to the Govt. of Assam, PWD as an ex-officio member keeping in

view the requirements of the infrastructure development aspect of the Institute. In addition, the

Institute Governing Body consists of eight ex-officio members and five members nominated by

the Government of Assam. The Director of the Institute continues to be the Member Secretary of

the Governing Body. The list of the reconstituted Governing Body is given in Annexure-1.

We welcome Shri PP Varma, IAS, former Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Assam, Shri Jitesh

Khosla, IAS, Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Assam, Prof. Amitabha De, Director, Rajiv Gandhi

Indian Institute of Management, Shillong and Dr. Gautam Biswas, Director, Indian Institute of

Technology, Guwahati who were inducted to the AIM Governing Body as ex-officio members

during the year 2013-2014. We are thankful for their help and support in propelling the Institute

forward.

We also place on record the services rendered to the Institute by the out going members, Shri NK

Das, Ex-Chief Secretary to the Govt. of Assam, Shri PP Varma, IAS, Ex-Chief Secretary to the

Govt. of Assam, Prof. Keya Sengupta, former Director, Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of

Management, Shillong and Dr. Gautam Baruah, former Director, Indian Institute of Technology,

Guwahati. They were very highly supportive of the Institute activities and actively took part and

contributed in its various efforts and activities.

Director: By a special resolution of the Governing Body of the Institute, Dr. NN Sarma, Dean-

in-Charge of Academics and ONGC Chair Professor of the Institute, was allowed to function as

the Director of the Assam Institute of Management in June 2011 till a regular Director of the

Institute is appointed by the AIM General Body and approved by the Government of Assam. Dr.

Sarma served as Member-Secretary of the AIM Society during the year 2013-2014.

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MEETINGS OF THE GOVERNING BODY

During the year 2013-2014 the following meetings of the Governing Body were held:

99th - 25-04-2013

100th - 08-08-2013

101st - 04-11-2013

102nd - 22-01-2014

It may be mentioned that as per Institute Rules, the Governing Body should meet at least four

times in a year.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMME

Post Graduate Diploma in Management Programme (PGDM):

The flagship programme of the Institute is the two-year full-time Post Graduate Diploma in

Management (PGDM) programme which was launched in 1994 after obtaining AICTE approval.

This programme has been drawn up, keeping the youths of the North East Region in mind and

the changing requirements of management education in the global context. We are very happy to

report that this programme has been running very successfully and has attained a high level of

acceptance amongst Indian industry.

The 2011-2013 Batch

Of the 70 participants who were enrolled in the 18th PGDBM Batch in July 2011, 66 completed

the programme successfully and were awarded their Diplomas in a Convocation held on 29th

April 2013. Assam Gramin Bank, Central Bank of India, Arohan Foods, Vodafone, Emami,

Kriloskar, ICICI Bank, Colgate Palmolive, SBI Life, Toyota Motors (Dealer Point), CG Foods,

Bharti Axa Life Insurance, HCL Info Systems, Ambuja Cement, IMI Aid, Redlemon

Communications, Bajaj Allianz, Annapurna, Fleetguard Filters Private Ltd., Kansai Nerolac,

LIC, Jet Wings, Axis Bank Ltd., Confederation of Indian Industry, Johnson & Johnson and

Accenture were the major recruiters of the batch. A few graduates opted for self-employment or

joining their family concerns.

The 2012-2014 Batch:

Of the seventy students who were enrolled in the 19th Batch, 68 were continuing and were

promoted to the 2nd Year.

The 2012-14 Batch carried out their Summer Internship during the months of May and June

2013. The total batch size of 68 completed their Summer Internship Placement in various

Organisations like IOCL, FCI, NEEPCO, UBI (Kolkata), SBI, Tata Teleservices (Kolkata), Coca

Cola, NERAMAC, NRHM, The Hindu, STELLAR, AIRTEL, AIRCEL, Aarohan Food’s etc.

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The Institute received very encouraging Feedback Reports regarding performance of some

students during their internship period.

The 2013-2015 Batch :

Based on multiple criteria like overall academic performance since HSLC, additional

qualification and extra curricular activities, score in the Management Entrance Test, Group

Discussion and Written Assignment on the same, Personal Interview etc., the Institute offered

admission to 70 candidates in the 20th Batch and their classes started on 2nd July, 2013.

The 2014-2016 Batch:

In the 1st Phase of Admission to our PGDM Programme, out of 74 candidates who applied for

the Programme, 70 were called for Group Discussion and Personal Interview. The Group

Discussion and Personal Interview were held on 23 & 24 March, 2014. Based on multiple

criteria like overall academic performance since HSLC, additional qualification and extra

curricular activities, National Level Management Aptitude Test Score, Group Discussion and

Written Assignment, Personal Interview etc., the Institute offered admission to 49 candidates in

March 2014.

AICTE Approval

The Institute has received the Extension of Approval for its PGDM Programme from AICTE

vide its Letter No. F.No.Eastern/1-2013075711/2014/EOA dated 11th March 2014

18th CONVOCATION: The 18th Annual Convocation of the Assam Institute of Management

was held on 29th April 2013 at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Auditorium. His Excellency

Mr. Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary, Hon’ble Governor of Meghalaya was the Chief Guest and

delivered the Convocation Address. Shri NK Das, IAS, Chief Secretary to the Government of

Assam and Chairman, Assam Institute of Management presided over the function. In the

Convocation, sixty six students were awarded their individual Diplomas by the Chief Guest.

During the ceremony, the graduating students were administered a “Dikshantopadeshah” in

Sanskrit from the Upanishads by Shri Satish Sharma, a renowned Sanskrit Scholar. The

graduating students also took an oath to aver their loyalty to their country, their profession and

their conscience and to uphold the values and duties embodied by the Institute in them. Gold

medals were awarded to Mr. Sabyasachi Banerjee for his outstanding academic performance and

Mr. Alakesh Bhuyan and Mr. Sudip Kr. Chakravarty for the Best Grand Project, Mr. Antaraj

Baruah and Mr. Siam Choutenpha for the best Summer Project and Mr. Sabyasachi Banerjee and

Ms. Abhilashi Bhuyan for being the best All Rounder students. The function was very well

attended and everyone present appreciated the manner in which it was conducted.

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CRISIL RATING:

In the Year 2013-2014 also, AIM approached CRISIL, India’s major rating organization to grade

the AIM PGDM Programme. It was felt that an independent and continuous review by a

professional body will be very relevant to AIM. This was intended for setting standards and

identifying gaps.

Two representatives from CRISIL visited AIM on 26th August, 2013. The CRISIL team

thoroughly scrutinized AIM’s records and documentation processes. The team had detailed

interaction with AIM faculty. They independently interacted with the Director and former

Director of AIM, PGDM participants, Faculty, Guest Faculty, Alumni etc.

We are very happy to inform that CRISIL has given A Grade to AIM at the National Level and

A*** at the State Level. The grading is valid for one more year, till October 15, 2014.

Inauguration of the 2013-1015 Batch:

The PGDM Programme for the 20th Batch was formally inaugurated on 24th June, 2013 at 10.00

AM. at Gauhati Town Club, Panbazar, Guwahati. Prof. Deepak Kumar Sharma, Vice Chancellor,

Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University was the Chief Guest on the

occasion and delivered the Programme Initiation Lecture on the topic “Management and Ancient

Indian Traditional Texts” and administered the “Dikshantopadeshah. Shri Jatin Hazarika, IAS

(Retd.) who inaugurated the 1st PGDM Programme of the Institute presided over the function.

Immediately after the formal inauguration, normal academic programme for the 2nd Year and

distribution of books and induction of the 1st Year students took place.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES BY PGDBM 2ND YEAR STUDENTS:

The AIM PGDBM programme is unique in many respects. The Institute takes special pains to

sensitize the future managers to the social realities around their environment and to develop their

value systems and basic attitudes. The participants are encouraged to undertake socially relevant

activities targeted towards the socially disadvantaged members of the society. The PGDBM 2nd

year students conducted some events for the benefit of inmates of different organisations, as part

of this mission of the Institute. An indicative list of some activities organised by PGDBM

participants is given below:

Date Activity

27-10-2013 With Love, Kuch Pal Pyar Ke (a special day with the elderly loved ones) at

Mother Teresa Old Aged Home, Bamunimaidam, Guwahati.

09-11-2013 Sanitation and Design of parking place at EPT, Bamunimaidam, Guwahati.

25-12-2013 A Social Activity Camp at State Home for Women, Jalukbari, Guwahati.

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31-12-2013 Clean City – Green City, a camp organized at Bamunimaidam which was

attended by Prof. Kulendu Pathak, former Vice Chancellor of Dibrugarh

University and Shri S. Vishwanathan, IAS, Commissioner, GMC

20-03-2014 “Fun & Frolic” – a Day long Programme for children at Sahayika Sishu

Nirdeshan Kendra, Govt. Press Road, Guwahati

27-03-2014 “A Ray of Hope” at Child Protection cum Education Centre, Bamunimaidam,

Guwahati.

09-03-2014 Plantation Programme at AIM permanent campus, Paschim Boragaon.

The above is an indicative list. PGDBM participants carried out various activities and

programmes in different parts of Guwahati in collaboration with leading NGOs. The objective is

to help the participants to inculcate the right types of values and ethos towards social

sensitization.

SEMINARS CONDUCTED DURING THE PERIOD:

Seminars and Workshops are regular features of the Institute. In partial fulfillment of the

Executive Effectiveness paper of the PGDBM programme, the participants have to organise

Seminars. A total of 16 Seminars were organised during the year. Two of these Seminars were

conducted under the guidance and support of ONGC Chair. An indicative list is given below:

Sl.No. Date Seminar

Topic

Resource Person

1 02-04-

2013

The

Prospects

and

Concerns of

“Green

Marketing”

1. Mr. Sanjay Dikshit, Deputy General Manager, State Bank

of India.

2. Mr. Rupam Baruah, Head, North East Operation, Det

Norske Veritas.

3. Prof. Sanjib Raj, Assam Institute of Management.

2. 21-08-2013

The Hot ICE

Sector

1. Mr. Anisul Haque, Chief Executive, Resonance Brand

Communication.

2. Mr. Sumit Jain, Director, Outreach Advertising Pvt.

Ltd.

3. 29-10-2013 Sales

Promotional

activities of

apparel in

retail outlets

1) Mr. Mridul Singha, Cluster Marketing Manager of

Future Group, Guwahati.

2) Mr. Ramji Gupta, a retailer in Guwahati.

3) Moderated by Mr. Sanjib Raj, Asstt. Professor,

AIM.

4. 05-11-2013 Issues of

Rain Water

1) Mr. Shantanu Bhattacharya, Executive Engineer,

P.W.D., Chandmari, Guwahati.

Harvesting

2) Mr. R.K. Barman, Head, Science & Technology

Division, A.S.T.E.C., Vigyan Bhawan, GS Road,

Guwahati.

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5. 07-11-2013 “Role of

Microfinance

in Rural

Development”

1) Mrs. Balbinder Kaur, Asstt. General Manager,

NABARD.

2) Mr. Akhtar Hussain, Asstt. Manager, NABARD.

3) Moderated by Dr. N.N. Sarma, ONGC Chair

Professor, AIM.

6. 06-02-2014 “Urban

Sanitation in

Guwahati – its

problems and

management”

1) Dr. Binoy Kumar Das, Former Consultant of

UNDP & UNICEF.

2) Dr. G.K. Sharma, Management Faculty.

3) Shri Sanjib Raj, Faculty Member, AIM.

7. 14-03-2014 Knowledge

Conclave on

Companies

Act, 2013

1) Shri Kamal Mour, Chartered Accountant, Head,

RKP Associates.

2) Ms. Swati Todi, Company Secretary cum

Chartered Accountant.

8. 21-03-2014 Improvement

of Public

Services in

India

1) Mr. K.J. Hitali, ACS, Registrar, National Law

University.

2) Ms. Miranda Das, ACS, Deputy Director, Assam

Administrative Staff College.

3) Mr. Pranab Barua, Chief Editor, Telegraph.

9. 22-03-2014 Startups from

Assam:

Hindrances

and

Opportunities

1) Dr. Sriparna Bhuyan Baruah, Head, Centre for

Industrial Extension, Indian Institute of

Entrepreneurship, Guwahati.

2) Mr. Anabil Goswami, Co-Founder of Arohan

Foods, Guwahati, India’s first pork integrator,

funded by venture capitalists.

3) Shri Sanjib Raj, Faculty, AIM (Finance area).

10. 25-03-2014 Empowerment

of Women

through Entre-

preneurship -

Opportunities

and Challenges

1) Ms. Anita Dutta, Assistant Director, Rashtriya

Gramin Vikash Nidhi (RGVN).

2) Ms. Ajanta Ahmed, Women Entrepreneur

(Founder of Boutique Patmadoi).

3) Shri Sanjib Raj, Faculty, AIM - moderated the

Seminar.

11. 28-03-2014 Communal

Harmony and

National

Integration in

India – Its

Problems and

Management

1) Mr. S. Das, Renowned Trade Unionist.

2) Mr. Rakesh Pandey, Research Fellow, JNU.

3) Dr. G.K. Sharma, Faculty, AIM.

12. 29-03-2014 Tobacco 1) Dr. Srabana M. Bhagabati, Asstt. Professor,

Eradication :

Scenario,

Consequences

and Impacts

Oncology, Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute.

2) Mr. Austin Hanrison, Director, ASHA.

3) Mr. Amitabh Choudhury, Member, ASHA

Bhawan.

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Scholarship: Two of our PGDBM students (Batch 2011-2013) received NEC Merit Scholarship

and Book Grant through Directorate of Technical Education, Assam.

Institutional and Industrial Visit:

i) On 22nd July, 2013, 1st year participants visited the IIBM, IIE, NEDFi, IIT Guwahati and

GNRC in groups to get a direct exposure to the functioning of civic Institutions.

ii) Operations Management specialization students visited CIPET on 22-08-2013

accompanied by Dr. P.C. Kalita for exposure on processes used for plastic modeling;

technologies for shaping, moulding, using recycled materials. They were also exposed to

Autocad and Unigraphies etc.

iii) An Industrial visit to Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. was conducted for the 1st group of 2nd

Year participants from 29th to 30th August, 2013.

iv) On 19th August, 2013, 1st Year participants visited the Anand Food Products, Jyothi

Laboratories, Emami Ltd. & Supreme Furniture Ltd. at EPIP Amingaon in groups.

v) Another industrial visit to Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. was conducted for the 2nd group of

2nd Year participants from 12th to 13th September, 2013.

vi) The participants of the Retail Management Certificate Programme were exposed to

retailing activities by conducting a visit to different malls in Kolkata during the period 3rd

August 2013 to 9th August 2013. The industrial visit was conducted to meet the

requirements of the Ministry of DoNER sponsored programme.

vii) An industrial visit to Jamshedpur was conducted for the 2nd Year PGDBM participants

from 1st November to 9th November, 2013. The students were exposed to the

functioning of Tata Steel Growth Shop, JMT Auto Ltd. etc. Three of the Institute faculty

members accompanied the participants and guided the industrial tour.

Guest Faculty: An indicative list of Guest Faculty Sessions conducted during the year is given

below:

Date Name Subject

26-08-2013 Prof. M.K. Awasthi of IIM Lucknow Facing the outside world

9-11Sept.’13 Mr. R.D. Costa, XLRI, Jamshedpur Sales, Distribution, Retail

Management

12-09-2013 Shri Jagdish P. Borah, Former Managing Director,

North East Handloom & Handicraft Development

Corporation

Every Manager is a HR

Manager

23-11-2013 Prof. S.K. Mathur, Professor and Programme

Director, Institute of Public Enterprises

Role of Innovation in

Management

15-02-2014 Shri Arunjyoti Baishya of Tata Consultancy

Services

IT and Service Operations

Management

21-02-2014 Shri Samir Baruah, a retired General Manager of Entrepreneurship

Indian Overseas Bank Prospects for Management

students

03-03-2014 Shri Pradeep Singh, Chief Executive Officer,

Indian School of Business, Mohali

Basic Managerial Skill

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Guest:

Prof. Sukhendu Samajdar, Pro Vice Chancellor & Dean, Kaziranga University School of

Business visited the Institute and interacted with faculty.

Alumni Meet:

AIM family is proud of its Alumni spread round the globe. It is a great opportunity for the

current PGDBM participants to interact with its Alumni through the annual Alumni Meet 2013

which was held on 27th July, 2013 at Pandit Tirthanath Sarma Sabhaghar. The four hour long

Meet was conducted on Workshop Mode. The workshop discussed issues related with industry-

academia interface, leveraging on AIM-Alumni network, mentoring aspects as regards SIP and

Grand Project etc. About 50 Members of AIM Alumni Network attended the Meet. The

Members included Mr. Piyush Upadhyay, Chief Strategist (HR) Tata Power, Mr. Jatinder Singh

Narula, General Manager, JCB India Ltd., Shri Niraj Mangalam, Chief Executive Officer, NV

Cosmetic Clinic, Bangalore.

Students’ Achievements

i) Tezpur University organized their Annual Fest, i.e. Techxetra, 2013 from 25th to 27th

October, 2013. AIM students participated in various major events. Syed Mufti Alam

Rahman and Ms. Alisha Chetia of AIM won the 1st Prize in the B-Plan event. Shri

Gautamraj Kashyap and Syed Mufti Alam Rahman reached the final round of the Best

Manager Event which comprises of 5 rounds. Out of 28 teams, the team of Ms. Minakshi

Baruah and Syed Mufti Alam Rahman reached the final round of Case Study Event.

ii) Ms. Rashmita Kashyap and Ms. Yesmin Nawaz have been awarded consolation prizes in

Best Business Idea Contest on the topic “Exploring Youth Entrepreneurial Opportunities

in Health Care and Associated Sectors in Assam” organized by CII and BYST on 29th

October, 2013.

iii) Shri Gautamraj Kashyap, Shri Kaustav Narayan Goswami and Shri Dhrubajit Das of 1st

year PGDM won the 1st Prize in Case Study Competition in ‘Journel’, a management

event organized by DBIM, Guwahati.

iv) Shri Udit Narayan Sharma, Shri Kaustavanand Goswami and Shri Dhrubajit Das won the

2nd Prize in Social Media Plan in the same event.

v) The GCC Centre of Management Studies (GCMS), Gauhati Commerce College, had

organized its Annual Management Fest, Quasofiesta on 19-02-2014. The fest included

various management events like Best Manager, Business Quiz, Collage, Traditional

Attire, Treasure Hunt, Mad Ad (Ad Making) etc. followed by cultural program. The

primary aim of this fest was aimed at providing a platform for management students of

various institutes including Assam Institute of Management (AIM) to showcase their

managerial talent in these events. Students of AIM participated in the above mentioned

events. AIM, received the Best Institute Award in this fest. The following students of

AIM were successful in winning the first prize in the events mentioned below.

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Event Name of the student(s)

Best Manager Gautamraj Kashyap

Mad Ad (Ad Making Kaustav Narayan Goswami

Udit Narayan Sarmah

Collage Minakshi Baruah

Yasmin Nawaz

IIPC: AICTE vide letter F.No. 14-11/RIFD/IIPC/POLICY-1/2013-14 dated 16-07-2013

sanctioned Rs. 7.75 Lakhs to AIM for its Industry Institute Partnership Cell which is aimed at

bridging the industry academic gap. Dr. P.C. Kalita of the Institute is coordinating the Project. It

is proposed to develop partnership relation with four companies under the Cell: IOCL, BP

Enterprises, National Associates and Red Lemon Communications.

Following are activities being undertaken by IIPC under the supervision of Dr. PC Kalita:

a) Design Method Project: User interface design is in progress for the online design

ideation and monitoring tool. It is a web-based application for implementing standard

design methods for creating design ideas. Four methods viz. MRFSV, Kano model,

QFD and Idea Screening matrix are being integrated. In the first phase of the

development MRFSB will be integrated with Idea Screening Matrix. Development

work is going on. Acumen Soft Consultancy Pvt. Limited has offered two Summer

Internships under the project. The participants have availed an opportunity to work in

the live project.

b) Encouraging innovation with Electronic Media Project: This project aims to

cultivate and encourage creativity and innovation amongst students. The concept paper

has been discussed with the BP Enterprises, Rengoni TV has offered four Summer

Internships under the live project.

c) Marketing Research for low Cost Branded & Non Branded Undergarments for

Ladies & Gents: The IIPC Cell is going to undertake a study entitled “The Urban and

Rural Market of Assam and North East and export potential to Bangladesh and

Myanmar of Low Cost Branded & Non Branded Undergarments for Ladies & Gents”.

The project has been offered by the Gargya Group of Companies. The project aims to

study various issues related to Low Cost Branded and Non Branded Undergarments for

Ladies & Gents viz consumer behavior, design, supply chain, distribution, market

share, business opportunity, challenges etc. Altogether three paid Summer Internships

have been offered under the project.

Independence Day: The Institute hoisted the National Flag in the Institute premises in a formal

ceremony on 15th August, 2013.

Teachers’ Day: Teachers’ Day was celebrated by the students and faculty on 5th September,

2013.

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Yoga Programme : The first year PGDM participants attended a week long programme from

19th to 25th September, 2013 on Yoga and Spiritual discourses in Vivekananda Kendra Institute

of Culture, Guwahati. The participants were exposed to Indian ethos, spiritual discourses and

yogic exercises.

Interaction Programme by BYST: Bharat Yuva Shakti Trust Interacted with the 2nd Year

PGDBM participants and motivated them to take up enterprising venture and guided them about

the start up possibilities on 21st September, 2013. Dr. Md. Hasib, Regional Coordinator of BYST

interacted with the participants.

Financial Literacy Programme: The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and the National

Securities Depository Ltd. (NSDL) conducted a Financial Literacy Programme at the Institute on

5th October, 2013. Exploring the world of dematerialization and investing in capital markets were

the two topics discussed in the programme. The following resource persons conducted the

programme which was attended by the faculty, staff and students of the Institute:

1) Shri Supratim Mitra, Asstt. Vice President, NSDL.

2) Shri Vishnu Gupta, Asstt. Manager, National Stock Exchange of India Ltd.

Celebration of National Education Day: The Institute celebrated National Education Day on

11th November, 2013 and organized a lecture on “Management Lessons from Science”. The

lecture was delivered by Dr. Dinesh Chandra Goswami, renowned scientist. He discussed the

history of science from the beginning of the human civilization and on the importance of the

scientific spirit to manage professionally.

Annual Sports: The Annual Indoor Sports Events of the institute were held on 8th December,

2013. The Outdoor Sports Events were held on 9th December, 2013. The prizes were distributed

by Shri Nagendra Nath Barman, renowned referee and noted sports administrator.

Annual Cultural Night: The Cultural Programme of the Institute was organised on 24th

December, 2013 at the Pandit Tirthanath Sarma Memorial Sabhaghar. The students gave a

theme in the Cultural Night “The Good meets the Evil”. The event showcased the talents of the

students in songs, music, drama etc.

ISTD Examination: ISTD Diploma examinations were conducted in the Institute from 26th

December to 29th December, 2013. The Institute provided assistance to the Diploma participants

in submitting their end course project reports.

Annual Debate Competition: The Annual Debate Competition of our Institute for the year

2013-2014 was held on 11-02-2014. The topic of the debate was “Management education should

be made compulsory to make India a developed country by 2020 AD”. Ms. Yasmin Nawaz from

2nd Year PGDBM Programme was selected as best participant. She was rewarded with a copy of

book entitled “Corporate Chanakya”. The panel of Judges were Dr. Mreeshi Agarwala and Shri

Sanjib Raj, AIM.

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Election Duties of AIM Employees: In response to the letter of the District Election Officer

(No. K(M)EL.1/2014/187 dated 13-02-2014) the list of officers and staff of AIM were provided.

Accordingly, the AIM faculty members and staff have been entrusted various duties for

conducting the election processes in Kamrup (M) district.

Blood Donation Camp: Annual Blood Donation Camp was organized at our Institute on 17-02-

2014 in collaboration with The Blood Bank, Gauhati Medical College Hospital. Dr. Mrinal Nath

and Dr. Madhumita Chakravorty conducted the Camp.

ACADEMIC COUNCIL MEETING:

The Academic Council of the Institute met twice during the year 2013-2014.

i) The Institute Academic Council met on 15th June, 2013 at the Institute. The Members

discussed about the design and content of the PGDM Programme, modifications made,

changes proposed and pedagogical aspects etc.

ii) The Academic Council Meeting held on 3rd January, 2014 discussed about the design,

methodology, syllabi and the strategy of the proposed three trimester long One Year

Diploma Programme on Hospitality and Tourism Management (DHTM). The Meeting

also discussed about the changes incorporated in the PGDM Programme of the Institute.

AG Audit: A team of officials from the office of the Accountant General (Audit), Assam carried

out the Audit of Accounts of Assam Institute of Management for the financial year 2011-2012

during the period from 26-06-2013 to 02-07-2013.

Wall Magazine: The Wall Magazine of the Institute for this Academic Year was inaugurated on

20th July, 2013 at Tirthanath Sarma Sabhaghar.

Six Month Residential Certificate Programme on Retail Management: The Valedictory

Function of 6 Month Residential Certificate Programme on Retail Management for the youths of

North East Region sanctioned by Ministry of DoNER was held on 06-09-2013 at Assam Institute

of Management. Shri R.S. Joshi, President, FINER was the Chief Guest and delivered the

Valedictory Address. In the Function, thirty students were awarded their individual Diplomas by

the Chief Guest.

Guidelines to Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute: The Institute has provided guidelines to Dr. B.

Borooah Cancer Institute in respect of the career progression path of its officials. The views of

the Institute were sought in the month of February 2014, as AIM prepared the Service Rules and

Promotional Guidelines for Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute.

Employment of new Faculty:

Shri Sinmoy Goswami and Shri Shazeed Ahmed have joined the Institute as Assistant Professor

on 18th February, 2014 and 4th March, 2014 respectively.

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MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES:

The Institute organised a number of management and staff development programmes during the

year 2013-14.

i) The Institute organised a Two-day Training Programme from 30th August to 31st August,

2013 on Business Skills Development for the distributors of Bharat Gas Raiganj LPG

Territory at Hotel Nakshatra, Guwahati. The programme was conducted at the request of

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd.

ii) The Institute conducted a Two Day Training Programme from 3rd September to 4th

September, 2013 on Capacity Building for Accelerated Career Programme in the

Training Centre of Assam Oil Division, Digboi of Indian Oil Corporation.

iii) The Institute conducted another Training Programme on 19th and 20th September at

Gauhati Refinery, IOC on Capacity Building for Accelerated Career Programme.

iv) The Institute conducted a one day Management Development Programme on 11th

November, 2013 for the Sales Staff of Industrial Development Enterprises of India, an

organization involved with micro irrigation related activities. Sessions were conducted in

the areas of marketing, communication, effective selling and distribution.

v) The Institute conducted a Training Programme for the Postal Department on Soft Skill

development on 18th December 2013.

vi) The Institute conducted another Training Programme on Soft Skill Development for the

newly recruited Junior Assistants of the Postal Department on 30th December 2013.

vii) Workshop on Public Procurement: The Procurement Observatory, a project set up by

the World Bank at the Institute organized a One Day Workshop on Public Procurement

on 18th February, 2014, at Hotel Nakshatra, Guwahati. The Workshop was inaugurated

by Shri P.P. Varma, IAS (Retd.), Adviser to Chief Minister Assam and former Chairman

of AIM. Shri Abdul Jabbar Hassan Al Quathab, South Asia Procurement Manager of the

World Bank, Shri Anurag Goel, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Department of

Information Technology, Govt. of Assam, Shri Mukesh Agarwala, IPS; Additional DGP,

Assam Police, Smt. Kabita Das Roy, Technical Director of NIC etc. were the esteemed

participants of the Workshop. The Workshop was attended by the officers and engineers

of PWD(B), PWD(Roads), World Bank sponsored projects, Irrigation Department,

Education Department etc. The Workshop discussed the problems, prospects, challenges

in procurement and adoption of e procurement in Govt. operations. Moreover, the

Workshop also discussed about development of Key Performance Indicators to serve as

benchmark for measuring the procurement practices. The World Bank officials expressed

high satisfaction on the design and conduct of the Workshop.

RESEARCH :

i) Prof. Irfan Ullah has been awarded Ph.D Degree by Dibrugarh University by Memo

No.DU/Acad/Ph.D/Awarded/2012/675-795 dated 02-07-2013. He has worked on the

topic “A Study on the Problems and Prospects of Repositioning Tea as a Health-Drink

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Commodity”, in Centre for Management Studies, Dibrugarh University under the

supervision of Prof. A.R. M. Rehman, Department of Commerce, Dibrugarh University.

ii) Shri Sinmoy Goswami, Asistant Professor of our Institute has been awarded Ph.D.

Degree by Tezpur University on the topic “Customer Delight: A Study of the Hospitality

Industry in North East India” vide Notification No. B.72/2014/1/2.1 dated 22-03-2014.

PROJECTS AND CONSULTANCY ASSIGNMENTS:

The Institute carried out the following projects and assignments during the year:

i) The Office of the Executive Engineer, Jorhat Water Resources Division, Govt. of Assam

requested the Institute for evaluation of 9000 nos. of OMR sheets regarding recruitment

of JAA. The work was completed in the month of July 2013.

ii) Assam Govt. Marketing Corporation Ltd. requested the Institute to help them in

submitting a formal proposal for revitalization of the Organisation. The sales

performance of the AGMC, the problem of working capital requirement etc. were

assessed and accordingly financial projection have been made. The report has been

submitted.

iii) Prepared Results-Framework-Document (RFD) for Directorate of Forensic Science,

Government of Assam. The prime emphasis has been given in infrastructure development

and Human Capital Development of Forensic Science Laboratory. Focus was also in

strengthening the linkages between FSL with judiciary, police administration and the

public in general. The assignment was carried out at the request of the Directorate of

Forensic Science, Govt. of Assam, to meet the requirement of RFD compliance.

iv) The Govt. of Assam has commissioned the Institute for conducting processes for

recruitment of Junior Administrative Assistants in Assam Secretariat. The Written Test

was successfully conducted on 17th March, 2013 in all the district headquarters of Assam.

The results of Written Test has been declared and the Personal Interview was conducted

on 28th to 30th July, 2013 with cooperation received from the Secretariat Administration

Department, Govt. of Assam. During the year the Institute provided various information

to Secretariat Administrative Department sought under the provisions of RTI Act.

v) The Institute conducted Written Test for recruitment of JAA in the Deputy

Commissioner’s office, Barpeta on 29th September, 2013. The evaluation process was

also subsequently conducted.

vi) The World Bank Group has commissioned Assam Institute of Management for Setting

Up a Procurement Observatory in the State of Assam. The date for commencement of the

Project is 7th October, 2013 and shall be up to and including October 6, 2014 for an

amount of Rs. 17 Lakhs. Following are the Key Experts and the Non-Key Experts for the

Project:

Key Expert Non-Key Expert

Dr. Nripendra Narayan Sarma Mr. Chandan Borah

Dr. Mreeshi Agarwala Mr. Kishore Hazarika

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The Project will aim at collection and analysis of procurement (including contract

implementation) related data in the State of Assam. In addition to this the Project will aim

at developing procurement performance indicators, monitoring the procurement policies

and sharing the information in respect of the benchmark practices elsewhere. A website

titled www.procurementobservatoryassam.in has also been created. The website is being

updated and uploaded with field found inputs.

vii) Civil Defence Recruitment Project: The Institute was entrusted by the Office of the

Director General of Civil Defence and Commandant General of Home Guards, Assam,

Beltola, with the work of setting Question Papers and printing of Answer Sheets for the

Written Test for recruitment of Compounders, Junior Assistant (LDA) and Stenographer

(Grade III). The project has been successfully completed.

ONGC CHAIR:

i) Vide letter No. ONGCA/FTG/Chair/AIM/2013-14 dated 1st April, 2013, ONGC has

expressed satisfaction on the functioning of ONGC Chair at AIM. that “considerable

progress has been made in the last three years for making the ONGC Chair functional and

more productive”.

ii) The Institute has received the 3rd Installment of Rs. 9 Lakhs towards contribution of

ONGC Chair at AIM vide payment note dated 18-07-2013.

iii) ONGC Chair Research Paper on Energy Security Concerns has been submitted vide letter

No.AIM/03/15(A)/2005/1821 dated 15-11-2013. The Project was approved by ONGC

vide letter No.ONGCA/Chairs/AIM/2013-14 dated 12 June, 2013.

iv) Dr. N.N. Sarma was invited by ONGC Academy, Dehradun to deliver the ONGC Chair

Lecture 2013 on the topic “Managerial Effectiveness and Time Management” on 14-05-

2013. More than 100 Graduate Trainees attended the lecture. Shri K.L. Mehrotra,

Executive Director, ONGC Academy and Shri H.S. Maity, Chief Geophysicist also

attended the Lecture.

v) Dr. N.N. Sarma conducted 4 sessions in the 4th ONGC Chair Professors’ Workshop held

at ONGC Academy, Dehradun on 12th and 13th December, 2013. The sessions were on

Managing Interpersonal Conflict, Stakeholder Management, CSR and Managerial

Effectiveness.

AIM PERMANENT CAMPUS:

The Government of Assam had offered a plot of land measuring 15 bighas to the Assam Institute

of Management a few years back to build its own campus. The construction of the main

Administrative and Academic Building of the Institute is in progress and is likely to be expedited

with mobilizing fund from government sources. The Project Works Committee met three times

during the year. With the formation of the Project Works Committee and involvement of PWD

(Building) of Govt. of Assam it is expected that the AIM infrastructure development project

would be completed in a smooth manner.

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FACULTY ACTIVITIES:

The faculty members in addition to conducting classes in the PGDBM Programme and sessions

in SDPs/MDPs, organised by the Institute, were also involved in academic and professional

activities outside the Institute. The Institute faculty is involved in teaching, training, research and

consultancy. Not only the in-house teaching and training programmes, the Institute faculty

support is sought after by many other Institutions also. An indicative list of the faculty activities

is given below for the period under review:

Prof. Sanjib Raj:

i) Prof. Sanjib Raj attended an Interactive Meet with Entrepreneurs at Indian Institute of

Entrepreneurship, Guwahati on 8th April, 2013.

Dr. GK Sharma:

i) Dr. GK Sharma conducted an EDP at Bongaigaon Refinery on 22nd & 23rd July, 2013. He

facilitated the learning of Conflict Management, Team Building and Leadership.

ii) Delivered a lecture on “Challenges of Higher Education Management: Remedial Courses at

the undergraduate level” at the Academic Staff College of the Gauhati University on 27th

July, 2013.

iii) Conducted a Workshop on career planning and preparation for Written Test, Group

Discussion and Interview at Nabajyoti College, Kalgachia on 21st March, 2014. During the

Workshop Mock Group Discusisons and Mock Interviews were conducted.

Dr. Mreeshi Agarwala:

i) Conducted three consecutive sessions on ‘Effective Communication Skills’. ‘Listening

Skills’ and ‘Conversational Skills’ in an orientation programme scheduled for IPCC/ATC

students by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, E.I.R.C., Guwahati Branch on

4th September, 2013.

ii) Attended a day’s Workshop on New Company Bill and Corporate Governance for Growth

and Development on 10th September, 2013, organised by Public Enterprises Department

Assam, at Assam Secretariat, Dispur, Guwahati.

iii) Attended a two day’s North East MSME Conclave - 2013, Building Competitiveness for

Leveraging Opportunities on 12th & 13th September, 2013 organised at Hotel Grand Star

Line, Guwahati.

iv) Attended a two days ‘PPP Capacity Building Workshop on Mainstreaming PPPs’

organized by Department of Economic Affairs & Asian Development Bank at Assam

Administrative Staff College from 14th to 15th November, 2013.

v) Conducted three consecutive sessions on ‘Effective Communication Skills’, ‘Listening

Skills’ and ‘Conversational skills’ in an orientation programme schedule for IPCC/ATC

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students by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, E I R C , Guwahati Branch on

24th December 2013 and 5th January 2014.

vi) A paper on Trials and tribulation of aged women has been accepted for presentation in

International Conference on Aging Well Social and Managerial Challenges-ICAW 2014 to

be organized from 17th to 19th January 2014 at SCMS Group of Educational Institutions,

Kochi, Kerela.

Dr. Pratul Chandra Kalita::

i) Delivered the Key Note Address in World Telecommunication and Information Society

Day organized by Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, Guwahati

Centre on 17 May 2013. The topic of the Address was Implementation of Intelligent

Transport System in Guwahati City

ii) Provided assistance in the study on Administrative Structure for Swarna Jayanti Shahari

Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) Programme in Eight NE Region States. The study has been

conducted by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati.

iii) The Journal of Management has empanelled Dr. Pratul Kalita as a Reviewer. His area of

review would be: Product Design and Development, Production and Operations

Management, Design Management.

iv) Provided research assistance to IIE Guwahati for a study on possibilities of sourcing funds

from CSR projects of PSUs located in NER with special reference to leverage its

capabilities for enhancement of employability in NER.

v) Delivered a lecture on PPP Project identification and structuring at Assam Administrative

Staff College on 24th December, 2013.

vi) Delivered a lecture on ‘Product Design and Innovation Management for MSME’ in the

Entrepreneurship Development Programme under Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojna held at

Goalpara on 26th December, 2013.

vii) Delivered a lecture on ‘Teaching Methodology: Experiences and Experiments’ at

Academic Staff College, Gauhati Univeristy on 27th December, 2013. The programme

was organized for University and College teachers.

Sinmoy Goswami:

i) Sinmoy Goswami and others published an article “Management of Guest Delight in Hotels:

An Exploratory Study” at the VISION-The Journal of Business Perspective Vol.18

No.1.2014, PP 29-45.

Shazeed Ahmed:

i) Published a paper entitled “Rural Market Dynamics and Product Penetration”, by Shazeed

Ahmed with Rinalini Pathak Kakati, Faculty, MBA Department, Gauhati University at the

ICFAI University Press (IUP) Journal of Marketing Management (Issue February 2014),

Vol. XIII No. 1, ISSN 0972-6845, Pg 59-77.

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DIRECTOR’S ACTIVITIES:

Director, Dr. NN Sarma is regularly invited by different Institutions & Organisations to deliver

lectures and conduct Training Sessions. Following is an indicative list.

i) Authored the Cover Article “Emerging Brands from North East India” in the monthly

bulletin of FINER, April 2013 (Vol.15).

ii) Conducted a session on “Ensuring Good Governance” in a training programme organised

by NIPCCD for VOs on 7th May, 2013.

iii) Provided Expert Comments in the revision of MBA Programme Syllabi of Tezpur

University as per the revised programme structure by the Academic Council of the

University.

iv) Dr. N.N. Sarma delivered the Introductory Lectures on Managing Tourism Activities in a

Training Programme organised for the Tourist Guides by Directorate of Tourism, Govt. of

Assam on 5th & 6th August, 2013.

v) Delivered a speech on “Fuelling the economy through an IT enabled educative drive” in

NICT 2013 (A Conference organised by The Telegraph) on 07-09-2013 at Vishwaratna

Hotel at Guwahati.

vi) Delivered a lecture on “Promoting Good Governance –Contribution of Vigilance” on 28th

October, 2013 at Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship. The faculty members and the staff of

the Institute attended the lecture.

vii) Conducted a session on Entrepreneurship Motivation and Project Preparation in a

Management Development Programme organized by Biotech Consortium India Ltd. and

sponsored by Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India on November 6, 2013 at Hotel

Gateway Grandeur, Guwahati.

viii) Reviewed the Syllabus of Business Studies (Part I and Part II) of the BPP Programme of

Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University in November 2013.

ix) Conducted a session on Case Methodology of Teaching in the areas of Marketing and

Promotion on 6th February, 2014 in a FDP organized by Business Administration

Department, Gauhati University and sponsored by U.G.C.

x) Dr. NN Sarma conducted a session on Rural Marketing Strategy in a Management

Development Programme organized by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship on 11-02-2014.

xi) Conducted a session on “Marketing aspects of Small Business” in an EDP organized by

RGVN Micro Finance on 19th February, 2014.

xii) Edited some course material on the subject Office Management for KK Handique State

Open University for its undergraduate courses.

FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE INSTITUTE:

Financial prudency has been the hall mark of the Institute’s working and has helped the Institute

to withstand many crisis situations in the past. As shown in the financial statements, the Institute

receives an Annual Grant-in-Aid from the Government of Assam. After the Institute has been

brought under the Department of Technical Education, it was expected that the flow of funds

19

from the Government would improve and would help the Institute to undertake many

developmental works. During this year, the Institute received an amount of Rs.20 Lakhs only as

Grants-in-Aid from the Government of Assam.

The major source of revenue for the Institute is the fees for its PGDBM programme. In addition,

the Institute also garners revenue through training programmes, works undertaken on behalf of

others and consultancies. The potential to enhance revenue through these activities need to be

more thoroughly examined. The Financial Statements of the Institute attached with this Annual

Report clearly depicts the financial status of the Institute.

CONCLUSION:

The need for a permanent residential campus for any management institute is universally

acknowledged. Though the Institute has delivered quality management education, in spite of

constraints that were tremendous, it was always felt that the full potential was never realized. It is

hoped that the construction activities of the permanent campus would be expedited and the

Institute would be able to play the role society expects from it. The Institute solicits support from

the Ministry of DoNER, Government of India and concerned Departments of Government of

Assam in this regard.

The Institute expresses its deep sense of gratitude to all those who have, directly and indirectly,

helped the Institute in its various endeavors, without which the Institute could not have achieved

anything. Their support, goodwill, co-operation and help at different times and different

occasions, ensured that the institute could carry on its activities in the manner desired.

The members of the AIM family also deserve special mention for the hard work done by them

with dedication, sincerity and perseverance in carrying forward the ideals and mission of the

Institute. The success of the recruitment consultancy projects conducted by the Institute would

not have been possible without their passionate efforts.

Many organisations and institutions have reposed their faith in the Institute and have entrusted

the Institute with responsibilities. The Institute takes this opportunity to thank these organisations

for their faith in the Institute.

The Government of Assam and its various departments and other entities have been very helpful

to the Institute and this support has been the mainstay for the institute in undertaking

responsibilities that were often very daunting. All these, it is hoped, will lead to a degree of

professionalism in our work life in various sectors that would result in betterment of the society

we live in.

The AIM team would constantly strive with new initiatives and efforts to take the Institute to

newer height. The institute looks forward to support, cooperation and guidance from all

concerned.

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